Shadows in the Mist: Year 1
by DarkAurora007
Summary: Have you ever gotten sick of Harry Potter getting all the attention? No? Too f**king bad! This story is about another boy who is just as famous and is five times as smart. Rated T for explicit language.


As the sun set over the old cottage at 60 Dunsfold Lane, soon-to-be wizard Nicholas Xavier was reading up on Year One magic before he left to Hogwarts. Nick stood at exactly 5ft with emerald green eyes. He was a very special person, indeed. You see, Nick wasn't your ordinary Joe; he was a sort of tri-blend. He had the knowledge that would shatter Hermione Granger to pieces like a sledgehammer to a pane of glass, the money that not even Draco Malfoy could compete with and the sharpness of Professor McGonagall. His voice was probably enough to send hurricanes and tsunamis crying home to their mum!

His mum and dad were teachers at Hogwarts; Professor Prue and Joseph Xavier. Prue taught best when she was around transfiguration, while Joseph was more all-round. A few years ago, Joseph was falsely accused of leading Lord Voldemort to the Potter household, and the Dementors were after him ever since, even after the search was disbanded. So, before Nick left, Joseph taught him how to reflect them, and stop them sucking out his soul…

"Now, Nick, this is really advanced; Year Five magic, in fact." Joseph started. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I'm sure, Dad." I replied.

"Good. What I need you to do, is close your eyes and think of a very powerful memory; the most powerful thought you can think of." Joseph instructed. After about a minute, Joseph asked: "Have you got a powerful memory?"

"Yes. It's the most powerful I could muster." I replied again.

"Alright, so when you see the Boggart that is standing in for the real thing, you let the memory flow within you, and say: _Expecto Patronum. _Got it?"

"I've got it, Dad, don't worry!" I said, pulling out a flawless 10 ½ inch dragon heartstring wand from its crystal case.

Joseph, with a flick of _his _wand, opened the chest containing the Boggart. The Boggart floated out of the chest and stared at Nick with cold, menacing…. lips?

I quickly pointed his wand at the Boggart and closed his eyes. "_Expecto Patronum." _I whispered, as if telling my wand a secret. After a few seconds, there was nothing. But then, a bright silver shield appeared from my wand. After making sure the Boggart couldn't penetrate the shield, I slowly, but carefully, brought the shield down into the chest.

*SLAM!*

I collapsed onto the floor, slowly blacking out…

_**A FEW MINUTES LATER…**_

I woke up, amazed that I casted a full-body Patronus. But I wondered why it took the form of a phoenix, the same as the headmaster of Hogwarts, Professor Albus Dumbledore! Joseph was next to me, applauding my performance.

"Well done, Nick!" he cried. "You cast a full-body Patronus on your first try! Not even fifth years can do that!"

"I'm dumbfounded, also." I replied cheerfully. "That ought to be good for show and tell the first day there!"

_**AT KING'S CROSS STATION…**_

"See you in a few hours!" I shouted as I got onto the Hogwarts Express at Platform 9 ¾. When I had a look around the interior, I noticed that there were a lot of carriages. There were sixteen of them, in fact. I knew that the front two were reserved for Prefects, so I crossed THAT off my mental list. The back four were full of idiots, so I crossed that off too. So, after a bit of trial and error, I chose the third carriage, just behind the prefects.

Literally just as I sat down with the latest issue of Wizard Weekly, a beautiful young girl a bit shorter than me stood at the doorway,

"Do you mind if I sit here?" she asked. "The back four are full of idiots!"

'I totally called it!' I thought.

"No, not at all. Have a seat." I replied.

She slowly sat down on the seat opposite me, as if I was a lion, ready to pounce.

"My name's Taylah, by the way." she said.

"Mine's Nick, nice to meet you." I replied with a small smile.

Her eyes widened to the extent that she looked as if she swallowed liquid explosive.

"You mean THE Nick?" she cried. "Nick Xavier?"

"Yep, that's me." I answered. "Am I famous or something?"

"Kind of, yeah!" she replied. "You're like the second famous person on this train!"

"Yeah, and the first is Harry Potter, I know." I answered again with a grumble. "I just wish I wasn't famous! Just because I can cast a full-body Patronus before I even start Hogwarts doesn't automatically mean I'm famous, you know!"

Taylah was taken aback by my words.

"A full-body Patronus, huh?" an unknown voice boomed. The voice was connected to Hermione Granger, the class know-it-all. "Let's see, then!"

I slowly closed my eyes and pulled my apparently famous heartstring wand from its case. By that time, there was a crowd emerging.

"_Expecto Patronum."_ I whispered. A few seconds passed, then a shield came out of my wand, with the phoenix bringing up the rear. The phoenix passed around the room, then disappeared into thin air.

There was silence for quite a while, then applause. I thought I saw Granger faint…

_**FINALLY AT THE DESTINATION…!**_

As the train finally stopped at its destination, there was a giant outside the train holding a lantern.

"Alright, -irst years!" it boomed. "This way!"

Taylah was a bit shaken up when she saw the giant.

"W-who's t-tha-at?" she cried, quaking.

"Don't worry, Taylah!" I said calmly, giving Taylah a small nudge. "That's just Hagrid, the groundskeeper. He's pretty darn cool."

After the surprisingly interesting trek to the pier (Taylah lost a shoe, but recovered it afterwards) Hagrid told us to get into the boats.

"No more than four people on a boat!" he shouted, giving the enchanted boats the signal to push off.

_**AT HOGWARTS…**_

The first years (that's us) all walked up the stairs, talking to one another. When we reached the top, we were met by a witch in a green hat.

"That's Professor McGonagall, the Gryffindor leader." I whispered to Taylah.

"W-what's Gryffindor?" Taylah whispered back.

"You'll find out soon enough…" I whispered again.

Now, Professor McGonagall was a very nice person… if you were on her good side. If you weren't, you'd be pretty fucking screwed.

"Ladies and gentlemen, witches and wizards." McGonagall boomed. "I welcome you to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Now, before we get into eating, you need to be sorted into houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw… and_ Slytherin._" McGonagall seemed to say Slytherin in a different tone to the others. Maybe she didn't like Slytherin…

"Festivities will start momentarily." McGonagall instructioned as she disappeared into the Great Hall.

After a few minutes of talking and bickering, the doors opened and we formed a line in front of McGonagall.

"Now, here's what you need to do." McGonagall shouted so the back could hear. "When your name is called from this roll, you slowly and _sensibly_ walk to the chair, put the hat on, then sit down. You will then be sorted by the Sorting Hat." McGonagall then pointed to a hat placed on a chair. Then the unexpected happened.

_**SORTING HAT SONG!**_

_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_if you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folks use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!_

Everyone applauded the Sorting Hat's (horrible) song, then proceeded to shut the fuck up. Names then soon went by for sorting. Taylah was placed in Ravenclaw. Harry, Hermione and their friend Ron were all placed in Gryffindor. Draco was placed in Slytherin.

"Nicholas Xavier!" McGonagall yelled at the last person in the line… Me. I slowly walked to the hat and put it on.

"Hmmm…" the Sorting Hat… hummed. "Now THIS is something special. This one's got a mind that would defeat fifth years!" I received many cold stares from all the fifth years and Hermione. "Best be in… RAVENCLAW!"

All the students from the second to the left table leapt from their chair like kangaroos and began my standing ovation. I quickly sprinted to their table and did a few victory flips. I occupied my seat next to Taylah.


End file.
